November and December are usually hectic months for most of us, and along with the busy-ness often comes stress and anxiety. There is so much we want to do and without proper planning you can end up frazzled!

I think the most important thing to remember is that holidays are about spending time with those we love and enjoying this time together - that is really all that matters. Focus on that. Of course, a little organization and planning along the way will help too, so I'm combining the November and December Newsletters since the information that will help you with Thanksgiving preparation will help you with Christmas planning as well.

OK, let's start with Thanksgiving planning. To avoid having to do everything at the last minute, I'm going to break tasks down in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, so that by the time the day arrives, you will be as cool as a cucumber, relaxed, and ready to enjoy the day!

FIRST WEEK IN NOVEMBER

1. Plan your guest list and send out invitations (either the old fashioned way via cards or by telephone or email)

2. Do an assessment of your china, serving pieces, stemware and silverware (you may need to do a little polishing!), tablecloths, napkins and candles. Replace or purchase anything as needed.

That was easy, wasn't it? OK Lets continue

If you send out a Christmas letter and photo card, now is the time to get that letter written so you don't have to worry about it later. If you send out Christmas cards, address the envelopes now. If you do a photo card, order them now. I keep an address list on my computer and then print them off to save time. To avoid long queues at the post office, consider purchasing stamps online.

SECOND WEEK IN NOVEMBER

1. Plan your menu. If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, don't feel like you have to do it all. Delegate to others who are joining you, but be specific, e.g., " Could you please bring a green salad?".

2. As you plan your menu, collect all your recipes and compile your grocery list.

3. Plan your table centerpiece.

4. Plan your table setting.

THIRD WEEK IN NOVEMBER

1. Begin grocery shopping for the staples on your recipe list.

2. Name place cards are great in helping you arrange your table seating. Check that you have enough for all your guests and write on them with a fancy gold calligraphy pen.

3. Plan your baking day. If you can make anything ahead of time and know that it will freeze well, do it this week. I bake yeast rolls, pumpkin bread, molasses and chocolate chip cookies this week (all family favourites) and freeze them.

4. Prepare guest room and bathroom for guests. Don't forget all the little touches - refer back to July's newsletter about these areas.

FOURTH WEEK IN NOVEMBER

1. Set out all serving dishes and place a note in each listing what each one will hold so you don't have to think about what goes in what on Thanksgiving Day. This will also make it be easier for any helpers to know exactly where to put things.

2. Make sure the house is clean, tidy and uncluttered! (couldn't resist!). Get the family to pitch in to help.

3. Grocery shop for the remainder of your menu items.

4. Set your table the day before Thanksgiving.

THANKSGIVING DAY

1. Bake pies.

2. Plan your order of cooking.

3. ENJOY your time with family and friends.

4. Be thankful for all that you have and have a wonderful day!

DAY OR WEEK AFTER THANKSGIVING

Put away all fall decorations. Do it properly, purging anything that is broken or that you don't love or use. I store all mine in a Rubbermaid big orange storage container. The front of each container is labeled and they go back up on the shelves in the garage.

Start thinking Christmas!!! I start the day after Thanksgiving. If you decorate the inside and outside of your home at the end of November, it frees up a lot of time to concentrate on everything else that is associated with the holidays.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

As you unpack your holiday decorations, toss anything that is broken. Put things that you don't absolutely love or that don't have sentimental value straight in a box that can head to a thrift store. Check all strings of lights before you decorate with them to make sure they are in proper working order.

Decorate room by room. Listen to Christmas music as you go to really get in the mood! Take your time and enjoy the memories that your ornaments and decorations invoke.

FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER

1. Post out your holiday letter/cards. If you send out a holiday letter, make it short and always add a personal handwritten touch. (My sister sends out a holiday letter that is like a small novel to read, despite my telling that her no one wants to know every single detail of their past year!!) Consider e-mail cards. Remember post office queues get very long during the month of December, so mail any gifts now too. Avoid the times you know the post office is the busiest (i.e., lunchtime) or buy stamps online.

2. If you are a baker like me, now is the time to start that holiday baking. Every year I choose anything from 6 - 10 family favourite cookies, double each batch, and freeze them. During the year I buy Christmas tins in excellent condition from thrift stores and then once all the cookies are made I make up tins to share with family, friends, our family doctor's office staff, the local Pharmacy - all the people who help us in some way during the year. This is my way of saying "thank you". Who doesn't love home baked cookies?

3. Before the stores get too busy, get those Christmas gifts bought. Ordering all that you can online will lessen the frustrations of long checkout queues and lack of parking spots and will save you heaps of time. Also, do your shopping when the stores are the least crowded such as when they first open or just before closing.

Now I do have to say something here about buying more stuff for people!!! I know we all like to receive and open presents, but how about trying to limit the amount of material gifts you give this year and consider other options. I personally love to receive vouchers for spa pedicures or massages and restaurant gift cards. Be creative!!!

Have some hostess gifts on hand for those parties and homes you may be going to. Candles, jams and jellies and other gourmet food items make good hostess gifts and discount stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls have a great selection this time of year

In the trusty little notebook that lives in my handbag I keep a list of people who I buy gifts for, and when I think of something during the year that I think they will like, I jot it down so I usually have some good ideas of what to get them. I also like to buy gifts during the year when I see something on sale, and make a note of that also in my little book. You might also want to keep in your trusty little notebook clothes and shoe sizes for members of the family to make shopping easier too.

4. If space allows, keep a gift wrap station set up for the holidays and wrap gifts as you buy them. It is much more enjoyable than having to wrap 40 gifts on Christmas Eve. I have a 6 foot fold-up table that I set up in a spare room and have everything at my fingertips for gift wrapping - scissors, tape, gift boxes, tissue paper and gift wrap, bows, gift cards and pens

5. Our family traditionally makes a trip to the Christmas Tree farm every year to choose the perfect live tree. If you are like us, now is the time to choose your tree too, while the choices are good. Make sure if you have a real tree to keep it well watered - they can be a fire hazard.

SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER

1. Plan your holiday menus. Gather the appropriate recipes and make your shopping ingredient list.

2. Bake and freeze anything that you can ahead of time - yeast rolls, sweet breads, plum pudding and mince tarts (that's the Aussie in me!!)

3. Check all your china, etc. - just like you did for Thanksgiving

THIRD WEEK OF DECEMBER

By now you should be enjoying the sounds of Christmas, as you are so organized there is really not much you need to be doing.
I would clean the house and make sure the guest room is ready for any expected guests

WEEK OF CHRISTMAS

1. Grocery shop for menu items.

2. Set Dining room table.

3. Deliver those home-made cookies.

MERRI'S 10 HOLIDAY SUGGESTIONS

1. Drive around Huntsville to enjoy the Christmas lights.

2. Adopt a child or family from one of the angel trees to buy gifts for. The old saying "it is better to give than to receive" is so true and its a great lesson for your children.

3. Listen only to Christmas music all month.

4. Watch Christmas movies as a family.

5. Remember the true meaning of Christmas - attend a church even if its been a while since you've been.

6. Go caroling in your neighborhood or host a caroling party and sing to shut-ins.

7. See a performance of "A Christmas Carol" at the Fantasy playhouse. If you have never seen their production it is outstanding and a tradition in our family. Don't forget "The Nutcracker Ballet"!

8. The Living Christmas Tree is free and very enjoyable.

9. Host a Christmas Party for friends. I always think after decorating my house that I want others see it. It doesn't have to be a big deal - have a dessert party where everyone brings something.

10. Don't forget to exercise - you will feel better!!!

DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS OR SOON THEREAFTER

Now is the time to take advantage of all the heavily reduced prices on gift wrap and everything else associated with Christmas for next year. DO NOT be tempted to buy just because something might be 50% off unless it is something that you know you will use.

If your Christmas decorations have never been organized before, now is the time as you take them down, storing them in an organized manner. I recommend purchasing an assortment of Rubbermaid-like storage containers. I also like to use red and green ones so that they are easily identifiable when stacked on the garage shelving.

You can buy plastic wreath holders which are great or why not take advantage of all that vertical space in the garage, pop the wreaths in a black rubbish (trash) bag, and hang them from a nail on the wall?

I strongly suggest a compartmentalized (is that even a word!!?) ornament box. I used to keep all our tree ornaments in their original boxes, until I realized, along with them getting tatty looking, what was the point keeping all those boxes? So now I carefully wrap each ornament in tissue paper and place them in the ornament box. "Easy-peasy", and those ornament boxes hold heaps!!

OK - now go room by room and make sure that you are only putting away and keeping those things that you truly love. Wrap everything in tissue or bubble wrap. Label every box clearly by room. This will make decorating so much easier next year.

Store all light strings separately. I use the large Ziploc storage bags to place each set in and this works very well. You can also wind each string around a piece of heavy cardboard.

Make a list as you are going room by room of anything you might need to replace for next year and anything that you would like to add to your Christmas decorating. I keep a little notebook in my purse that lists just this, so that whenever I am out and about shopping and the stores start putting out their Christmas items in July, I can find what I need while the selection is really good and usually on sale.

Finally, update your Christmas card and gift lists, making note of any address changes.

I hope that my simple tips and ideas all year have helped in some way to either motivate you or to help you to be more organized in your home. Look for much more in 2009!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Merry Christmas!
Happy New Year!

Merri